Sheriffs Telling Our Parents Promoting Educated Drivers

FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

from the CDC

The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16-19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash.

Among teen drivers, those at especially high risk for motor vehicle crashes are:

  • Males: In 2013, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 was almost two times that of their female counterparts.
  • Teens driving with teen passengers: The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with the number of teen passengers.
  • Newly licensed teens: Crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure

Source: CDC

StoppedBrocClearly, additional intervention is needed in securing the safety of all motor vehicle operators as well as securing our children’s future.

In response to these alarming statistics, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office has developed the STOPPED Program, a voluntary parental notification system used to reduce the number of young drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents.

 

How it works:

  1. Parents voluntarily register, with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, any motor vehicle that will be operated by a driver under the age of 21.
  2. An identification decal is issued and affixed to the upper left side of the windshield of each registered vehicle.
  3. If, for any reason, the registered vehicle, when operated by a driver under the age of 21, is stopped by Sheriff’s deputies, the officer will complete a notification card providing the following information:
    – Time and location of stop
    – Driver’s name and number of passengers
    – Reason for the stop
    – Whether any traffic tickets were issued
  4. Notifications are mailed directly to parents to make them aware of potential problems, enabling them to enforce any parental rules that often coexist with teenage driving privileges.

The Sheriff’s Office offers parents this voluntary notification system to extend their watchful eyes and raise the awareness of drivers under the age of 21. This program provides young drivers with a visible reminder of parental supervision and provides parents with the means of correcting behavior before it is too late.

For questions regarding the STOPPED Program, call (315) 435-3044.
For a registration form, click here.